Monthly Archives: June 2016

On 1 June 2016 at 5:45 pm, al Shabaab fighters attacked the Ambassador Hotel in Mogadishu, killing 13 and wounding 40, reports CNN. Al Shabaab used a car bomb at the hotel’s front gate to initiate the attack, followed by two or three gunmen armed with AK-47s that penetrated the hotel’s interior. Muir Analytics refers to this tactic as the “Mogadishu special,” because of its frequent use in Mogadishu. Once inside, the gunmen continued fighting for 12 hours until the next morning on 2 June when Somali Special Forces (Gashan) engaged with, and killed the fighters, reports the BBC. Scores of Somali lawmakers and investors were in the hotel at the time. The Ambassador is a popular socializing spot for these type personnel. The government was holding a conference at the hotel at the time of the attack, says The Guardian, in part … Continue reading →